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Finance

Shifting investment toward sustainable development.

Securing a sustainable, climate-resilient future will require significant investment. For example, research shows that by 2020, the world will need to invest $5.7 trillion annually in green infrastructure like clean water, sustainable transport, and renewable energy in order to prevent climate change’s worst effects.

At the same time, many of the world’s current investments support environmentally and socially degrading projects. Ensuring human well-being will require investing in initiatives that provide social, environmental, and economic benefits.

WRI works to shift the world’s financial flows to support sustainable development. We engage the public and private sectors to scale up investments in low-carbon, socially beneficial projects—particularly in the developing world.

WRI’s research identifies ways to mobilize private and public finance for projects such as clean energy development and climate adaptation initiatives. We provide policy recommendations for national and local governments to attract these investments. Our guidance helps institutions incorporate environmental and social protections into their investment policies. We track and evaluate the impact of climate finance and sustainable development investments. And we bring together stakeholders from finance ministries, green finance groups, civil society, and the private sector to share knowledge and best practices.

Top Finance Outcomes

What's a top outcome?

Top outcomes are WRI's biggest success stories. They occur when our analysis, solutions, or partnerships result in significant change in the world.

Our Work

Finance Facts

Developed countries have pledged to provide $100 billion annually by 2020 to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change. From 2010-2012, they had reportedly delivered around $11 billion annually.

Finance Projects

Stabilizing the global climate is one of the most urgent challenges in coming decades. Our warming world affects all people and ecosystems, particularly the poor who already suffer disproportionately from climate-change impacts.